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Description:
Shown here is Mineral Wells, Texas looking east. This photograph was taken from Northwest Mountain, by A.F. Weaver on September 5, 1997. The Baker Hotel is in the center of the picture, with the Second Crazy Water Hotel in front of and left of the Baker; and the Nazareth Hospital, to the left of the Crazy Hotel.

Description:
The Weatherford, Mineral Wells, and Northwestern (WMW&NW) Railroad began operations October 1,1891. The Texas & Pacific Railway bought out the WMW&NW in 1902, and shortly thereafter built this depot to replace a former wooden structure that had been destroyed by fire. The rail line had a colorful history, operating through World War II and into the 1990's. Construction of an extension of the line to the city of Oran was completed in 1907, and on to Graford the following January. In 1912 two McKeen motor coaches (called "Doodlebugs" by the locals)were added. These were self-contained, 200 Horsepower, 70-foot long, gasoline-powered, 80-passenger coaches which provided service between Mineral Wells, Weatherford, Fort Worth and Dallas. A round trip took less than six hours, and two "Doodlebugs" provided service in each direction every three hours. In 1913, the Gulf Texas and Western Railroad, building south from Seymour, Texas, began operations over the WMW&NW line from Salesville to Mineral Wells, thus connecting the cities of Seymour, Olney, Jacksboro, Graford, Oran, Salesville, Mineral Wells, and Weatherford with daily round-trip service to Dallas. In 1928, passenger traffic had declined to a point that passenger service was discontinued, and did not resume until the nation began mobilizing for World War II in 1940. Nearly a half million troops (429,966) passed through the depot during the war years in transit to and from Ft. Wolters training base. The City of Mineral Wells bought the 22.8 miles of track to Weatherford October 1, 1989. It was the last operator, and kept the road open for freight traffic, for the benefit of local businesses. The passenger depot was restored after the trains ceased operations, and it is now [2008] the offices of the Elliott Waldren Abstract Company, and lawyer George Gault. The right-of-way from Mineral Wells to Weatherford was converted ...

Description:
This photograph is identified as "Baker Hotel Roof Garden February 1999." Two chandeliers are still in place on the ceiling, but the missing floor boards, the peeling paint, and the deserted condition of the room are indicative of the sad condition of a once beautiful ballroom. A ballroom on the twelfth floor was titled "The Cloud Room" by virtue of the clouds painted on its ceiling. A picture of it has yet [2014] to be found.